Best colleges for Heating in California
Ranked by graduate earnings
DeHart Technical School, Institute for Business and Technology and San Joaquin Valley College - Rancho Mirage are the top Heating programs in California by graduate earnings. DeHart Technical School leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,927, College Scorecard. UEI College - Riverside, UEI College - Fresno and UEI College - Ontario award the most Heating degrees and certificates in California: 460, 278 and 254 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 40 California colleges offer Heating and award 4,082 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician program prepares students for careers in the mechanical and repair technologies field. This program focuses on the essential skills needed to…
Top 10 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeHart Technical School Modesto Private for-profit · Certificate | $43,927 | 69 | 93% | $26,653 | $8,950 |
| 2 | Institute for Business and Technology San Jose Private for-profit · Certificate | $41,695 | 173 | 84% | $26,509 | $9,316 |
| 3 | San Joaquin Valley College - Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage Private for-profit · Associate degree | $40,861 | 24 | 70% | $23,568 | $13,000 |
| 4 | San Joaquin Valley College - Visalia Visalia Private for-profit · Certificate | $40,368 | 95 | 36% | $30,518 | $13,000 |
| 5 | Institute of Technology Clovis Private for-profit · Certificate | $39,935 | 201 | 73% | $24,518 | $9,500 |
| 6 | Capstone College Pasadena Private for-profit · Certificate | $38,740 | 46 | 64% | $18,730 | $9,500 |
| 7 | InterCoast Colleges-West Covina West Covina Private for-profit · Certificate | $38,137 | 38 | 97% | $26,763 | $9,500 |
| 8 | CET-Coachella Coachella Private not-for-profit · Certificate | $35,970 | 41 | 84% | $11,259 | $6,160 |
| 9 | Mayfield College Cathedral City Private for-profit · Certificate | $35,007 | 94 | 82% | $22,970 | $9,500 |
| 10 | UEI College - Ontario Ontario Private for-profit · Certificate | $33,444 | 254 | 66% | $27,167 | $9,500 |
Colleges awarding the most Heating degrees in California
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UEI College - Riverside Riverside Private for-profit | 460 | $30,235 |
| 2 | UEI College - Fresno Fresno Private for-profit | 278 | $23,433* |
| 3 | UEI College - Ontario Ontario Private for-profit | 254 | $33,444* |
| 4 | Brownson Technical School Anaheim Private for-profit | 242 | Not reported |
| 5 | UEI College - Reseda Reseda Private for-profit | 227 | $33,444* |
| 6 | UEI College - Bakersfield Bakersfield Private for-profit | 208 | $23,433* |
| 7 | Institute of Technology Clovis Private for-profit | 201 | $39,935 |
| 8 | UEI College - Garden Grove Garden Grove Private for-profit | 174 | $33,444* |
| 9 | Institute for Business and Technology San Jose Private for-profit | 173 | $41,695 |
| 10 | UEI College - Chula Vista Chula Vista Private for-profit | 145 | $33,444* |
ShowHide the other 30 California colleges offering Heating
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| UEI College - Huntington Park | Huntington Park | Private for-profit | 137 |
| National Career Education | Citrus Heights | Private for-profit | 133 |
| UEI College - Sacramento | Sacramento | Private for-profit | 131 |
| UEI College - Oceanside | Oceanside | Private for-profit | 128 |
| UEI College - Stockton | Stockton | Private for-profit | 106 |
| San Joaquin Valley College - Visalia | Visalia | Private for-profit | 95 |
| Mayfield College | Cathedral City | Private for-profit | 94 |
| UEI College - West Covina | West Covina | Private for-profit | 89 |
| UEI College - Gardena | Gardena | Private for-profit | 87 |
| San Joaquin Valley College - Temecula | Temecula | Private for-profit | 76 |
| San Joaquin Valley College - Lancaster | Lancaster | Private for-profit | 74 |
| DeHart Technical School | Modesto | Private for-profit | 69 |
| San Joaquin Valley College - Hesperia | Hesperia | Private for-profit | 59 |
| Capstone College | Pasadena | Private for-profit | 46 |
| Universal Technical Institute - Southern California | Long Beach | Private for-profit | 43 |
| CET-Coachella | Coachella | Private not-for-profit | 41 |
| San Joaquin Valley College - Bakersfield | Bakersfield | Private for-profit | 38 |
| InterCoast Colleges-West Covina | West Covina | Private for-profit | 38 |
| Hacienda La Puente Adult Education | La Puente | Public | 34 |
| CET-San Jose | San Jose | Private not-for-profit | 33 |
| San Joaquin Valley College - Ontario | Ontario | Private for-profit | 31 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology | Riverside | Private for-profit | 25 |
| San Joaquin Valley College - Rancho Mirage | Rancho Mirage | Private for-profit | 24 |
| San Joaquin Valley College - Trades Education Center | Fresno | Private for-profit | 20 |
| Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education | Baldwin Park | Public | 19 |
| ATA College | El Cajon | Private for-profit | 18 |
| CET-Colton | Colton | Private not-for-profit | 16 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology | Huntington Park | Private for-profit | 9 |
| National Polytechnic College | Lakewood | Private for-profit | 4 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Rancho Cordova | Rancho Cordova | Private for-profit | 3 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021).
Top skills
What Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers earn in California
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Heating programs in California.
Which California colleges award the most Heating degrees?+
UEI College - Riverside (460 graduates a year), UEI College - Fresno (278 graduates a year) and UEI College - Ontario (254 graduates a year) award the most Heating degrees and certificates in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 40 California colleges offer Heating.
What is the best college for Heating in California?+
By graduate earnings, DeHart Technical School leads among Heating programs in California, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,927, College Scorecard. Institute for Business and Technology and San Joaquin Valley College - Rancho Mirage follow. By degrees awarded, UEI College - Riverside is the largest, with 460 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Heating program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, DeHart Technical School tops the list at $43,927. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers earn in California?+
The average annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California is $75,370 (median $72,560), across about 35,130 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Heating program?+
The Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician program prepares students for careers in the mechanical and repair technologies field. This program focuses on the essential skills needed to…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop critical thinking, reading comprehension, active listening, monitoring, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers?+
The national job outlook is about +8.1% growth with around 40,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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